Highest-Rated Movies about 'British Empire'

Lawrence of Arabia (1962), They Shall Not Grow Old (2018), Gandhi (1982), The King's Speech (2010), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Dunkirk (2017), The Man Who Would Be King (1975), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best British Empire movies.

#16. Gunga Din (1939)

Storyline: Based loosely on the poem by Rudyard Kipling, this takes place in British India during the Thuggee uprising. Three fun loving sergeants are doing fine until one of them wants to get married and leave the service. The other two trick him into a final mission where they end up confronting the entire cult by themselves as the British Army is entering a trap. This is of the "War is fun" school of movie making. It has the flavour of watching Notre Dame play an inferior high school team.

Plot Keywords: religious cult, cavalry, british empire, 1880s, rescue, suicide, friendship ...

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#17. The Ruling Class (1972)

Storyline: A member of the House of Lords dies in a shockingly silly way, leaving his estate to his son. Unfortunately, his son is insane: he thinks he is Jesus Christ. The other somewhat-more respectable members of their family plot to steal the estate from him. Murder and mayhem ensues.—Mark Logan <marklo@west.sun.com>

Plot Keywords: kiss, river, hanging, hallucination, orchestra, lobotomy, confetti ...

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#18. The Secret Garden (1993)

Storyline: Living in India, Mary Lennox, a young, privileged girl, is left orphaned when her parents are killed in an earthquake. She is sent back to England where she goes to live on her uncle's estate. It is a fairly isolated existence and she has to find things to keep herself occupied. She finds a sickly young boy...and a secret garden.

Plot Keywords: garden, earthquake, hidden door, key, mansion, costume drama, female protagonist ...

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#19. Hope and Glory (1987)

Storyline: A semi-autobiographical project by John Boorman about a nine year old boy called Bill as he grows up in London during the blitz of World War II. For a young boy, this time in history was more of an adventure, a total upheaval of order, restrictions and discipline. The liberating effect of the war on the women left behind. And the joy when Hitler blows up your school.

Plot Keywords: warplane, world war two, grandfather grandson relationship, 1940s, premarital sex, teenage girl in underwear, teenage pregnancy ...

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#20. A Passage to India (1984)

Storyline: It's the early 1920s. Britons Adela Quested (Judy Davis) and her probable future mother-in-law Mrs. Moore (Peggy Ashcroft) have just arrived in Chandrapore in British India to visit Adela's unofficial betrothed, Ronny Heaslop (Nigel Havers), who works there as the city's magistrate. Adela and Mrs. Moore, who long for "an adventure" in experiencing all India has to offer, are dismayed to learn upon their arrival that the ruling British do not socialize, let alone associate, with the native population. Such people as the Turtons, Mr. Turton (Richard Wilson) being Ronny's superior, who openly thumb their noses at the idea in their belief that the Indians are an inferior people. They are further dismayed to see that Ronny adheres to that custom in not wanting to jeopardize his career. At the local white only club, Adela and Mrs. Moore find a like-minded Brit in the form of Richard Fielding (James Fox), the school master at government college, he who offers to organize a small, but truly ...

Plot Keywords: india, himalayas, grudge, festival, elephant, culture clash, claustrophobia ...

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#21. The Young Victoria (2009)

Storyline: Dominated by her possessive mother and her bullying consort, Conroy, since childhood, teen-aged Victoria refuses to allow them the power of acting as her regent in the last days of her uncle William IV's rule. Her German cousin Albert is encouraged to court her for solely political motives, but, following her accession at age eighteen, finds he is falling for her and is dismayed at her reliance on trusty Prime Minister Melbourne. Victoria is impressed by Albert's philanthropy, which is akin to her own desire to help her subjects. However, her loyalty to Melbourne, perceived as a self-seeker, almost causes a constitutional crisis, and it is Albert who helps restore her self-confidence. She proposes and they marry, Albert proving himself not only a devoted spouse, prepared to take an assassin's bullet for her, but also an agent of much-needed reform, finally endorsed by an admiring Melbourne.

Plot Keywords: wedding, courtship, buckingham palace, pride, royalty, monarchy, london england ...

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#22. Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (1983)

Storyline: In 1942 British soldier Jack Celliers comes to a Japanese prison camp. The camp is run by Yonoi, who has a firm belief in discipline, honor and glory. In his view, the allied prisoners are cowards when they chose to surrender instead of committing suicide. One of the prisoners, interpreter John Lawrence, tries to explain the Japanese way of thinking, but is considered a traitor.

Plot Keywords: prisoner, uniform, world war two, prisoner of war, katana sword, japanese army, homoeroticism ...

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#23. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)

Storyline: Once again we're plunged into the world of sword fights and "savvy" pirates. Captain Jack Sparrow is reminded he owes a debt to Davy Jones, who captains the flying Dutchman, a ghostly ship, with a crew from hell. Facing the "locker" Jack must find the heart of Davy Jones but to save himself he must get the help of quick-witted Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. If that's not complicated enough, Will and Elizabeth are sentenced to hang, unless Will can get Lord Cutler Beckett Jack's compass. Will is forced to join another crazy adventure with Jack.

Plot Keywords: heart, part of trilogy, sea captain, canceled wedding, monster, slime, blockbuster ...

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#25. The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936)

Storyline: Major Vickers is an officer at the 27th Lancers in India 1856. When the regiment is on maneuver, the barracks are attacked by Surat Khan and his soldiers who massacre British women and children. This leaves an inextinguishable memory and Vickers promises to revenge the dead.—Mattias Thuresson

Plot Keywords: battlefield, elephant, disguise, brother brother relationship, dead children, british empire, horse ...

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#26. Northwest Passage (1940)

Storyline: Based on the Kenneth Roberts novel of the same name, this film tells the story of two friends who join Rogers' Rangers, as the legendary elite force engages the enemy during the French and Indian War. The film focuses on their famous raid at Fort St. Francis and their marches before and after the battle.—Dale Roloff

Plot Keywords: flintlock rifle, stabbed in the back, stabbed in the arm, slavery, shot in the shoulder, shot in the leg, shot in the back ...

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#27. Damn the Defiant! (1962)

Storyline: H.M.S. Defiant's crew is part of a fleet-wide movement to present a petition of grievances to the Admiralty. Violence must be no part of it. The continual sadism of Defiant's first officer Lieutenant Scott-Padget (Sir Dirk Bogarde) makes this difficult, and when Captain Crawford (Sir Alec Guinness) is disabled, the chance for violence increases.—Cleo <frede005@maroon.tc.umn.edu>

Plot Keywords: navy, mutiny, british navy, based on novel, beating, bare chested male, teenage boy ...

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#28. Victoria & Abdul (2017)

Storyline: Abdul Karim arrives from India to participate in Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. The young clerk is surprised to find favor with the queen herself. As Victoria questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance that her household and inner circle try to destroy. As their friendship deepens, the queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes, joyfully reclaiming her humanity.

Plot Keywords: royal court, unlikely friendship, falling asleep, based on book, based on true story, odd couple, snob ...

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#29. From Hell (2001)

Storyline: It is 1888 in London, and the unfortunate poor lead horrifying lives in the city's deadliest slum, Whitechapel. Harassed by gangs and forced to walk the streets for a living, Mary Kelly and her small group of companions trudge on through this daily misery, their only consolation being that things can't get any worse. Yet things somehow do when their friend Ann is kidnapped and they are drawn into a conspiracy with links higher up than they could possibly imagine. The kidnapping is soon followed by the gruesome murder of another woman, Polly, and it becomes apparent that they are being hunted down, one by one. Sinister even by Whitechapel standards, the murder grabs the attention of Inspector Fred Abberline, a brilliant yet troubled man whose police work is often aided by his psychic abilities. Abberline becomes deeply involved with the case, which takes on personal meaning to him when he and Mary begin to fall in love. But as he gets closer to the truth, Whitechapel becomes more and ...

Plot Keywords: lesbian kiss, 19th century, victorian era, opium, prostitute, bare breasts, grave side ceremony ...

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#30. Carry On ... Up the Khyber (1968)

Storyline: Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond looks after the British outpost near the Khyber Pass. Protected by the kilted Third Foot and Mouth regiment, you would think they were safe. But the Khazi of Kalabar has other ideas. He wants all the British dead! But his troops fear the "skirted-devils"; they are rumoured not to wear anything underneath. Then one is caught with his pants on...—Simon N. McIntosh-Smith <Simon.N.Smith@cs.cf.ac.uk>

Plot Keywords: kilt, magician, escape, 19th century, innuendo, parody, satire ...

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